Collaboration between scientists, engineers and chefs has led to biomimetic innovation in the world of culinary art.
Biomimicry is known as a multidisciplinary discipline that promotes innovation, but we have not yet reported on biomimetic innovation in the culinary world. A study was recently published in the academic journal Biomimetics & Bioinspiration, in which it reported on a collaboration between scientists and engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and chefs, which led to the development of two products based on natural phenomena and intended for the culinary world. In this news we will expand on the cocktail ship.
The cocktail ship intended for serving cocktails, is an edible ship, with a self-propelling mechanism, driven by forces related to surface tension and imitating the way Water Striders (small insects) move quickly on the surface of water.
Previously it was already reported that a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed a robot that mimics the tiny water walkers in nature. This time, the knowledge about the water runners was harnessed for the benefit of the culinary art.
Surface tension is a tensile force per unit length, which acts at the interface between liquid surfaces or between liquid-gas surfaces, such as for example at the interface between air and liquid. Surface tension is an important factor in the lives of small creatures such as insects, and thanks to it some insects are able to move on water. When the size of the system on which the surface tension acts is small relative to the size of the capillaries (the forces of attraction between the molecules of the substance and the water), the effect of the surface tension outweighs the effect of gravity and the insect does not sink in the water. Various insects sometimes secrete active fatty substances (surface-active agent), which may lower the local surface tension, thus producing a gradient of surface tension that produces movement. When a gradient of surface tension is created along a surface, Marangoni flows are created which cause mass to move along the surface.
The cocktail ship is based on a similar principle. The ship is filled with alcohol, which is poured into the traffic lane through an outlet at the stern of the ship. The alcohol acts to locally reduce the surface tension between the water and the air, similar to those active fatty substances secreted in nature, produces a gradient of surface tension, and creates a Marangoni force that moves the ship until the alcohol runs out.
A prototype of the ship was created with a XNUMXD printer. Several models of boats of different shapes and sizes were tested, which led to a range of speeds, stability, and durations of movement. The performance of the vessel was particularly sensitive to the size of the slot that released the alcohol and the concentration of the alcohol. The longest flotilla lasted two minutes. The ship was printed from various edible materials such as: gelatin, and various sweets.
After finding the optimal model for the cocktail ship, the development team works on the appearance of the ship and its design so that we can also enjoy the sight of the eyes before activating the other senses. Bon appetit and cheers!
